Vehicle driving mechanism.



N0. 636,7QI.. Patented Nov. 7, |899. W. E. WENTI'ZEL & G. E. WHITNEY.

VEHICLE DRIVING MECHANISM.

(Applicmmi mea June 9, 1899.)

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` vNiTED SfIrAj'rl-sl PATENT rricn.

WILLIAM E. W'ENTZEL, OF LYNN, AND GEORGE E. IVI-IITNEY, OF BOSTON,

MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS TO THE WHITNEY MOTOR WAGON COM- PANY, OF KITTERY, MAINE.

VEHICLE DRIVING IvIEcI-IANIsIvI.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 636,701, dated November 7, 1899.

Application tied Juil@ 9, 1899. serial No. 719,387. (No model.)

2b all whom it may concern,.- K

Be it known that we,WILL1AM E. WENTZEL, of Lynn, county of Essex, and GEORGE E. WHITNEY, of Boston, county of Suffolk, State 5 of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Vehicle Driving Mechanism ,of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters and figures on the drawings xo representing like parts.

This invention relates to driving mechanism, and more particularly to such mechanism as applied to motor-vehicles or automobiles; and it has for its broad object the pro- 1 5 duction of a crank member and compensating driving connections between it and a pair of driving-wheels, whereby differential movement of the wheels is permitted when necessary, as when the vehicle is turning corners.

The utilization of a crank member for transmitting the power of the motor to the driving-wheels of a vehicle is productive of numerous advantages, such as the very direct application of power and the avoidance of a sprocket-chain or similar power-transmitting device; but, so far as we are aware, the combination of a crank member with compensating mechanism is broadly new, and whilewe have herein shown one very effective and 3o practical embodiment of our invention the same is not restricted to the particular construction and arrangement shown and described.

Inasmuch as our present invention comprehends only the driving-shaft and its immediately cooperating or related parts, we have not illustrated other portions of a vehicle unnecessary to a full understanding of our invention.

The various novel features of our invention will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Figure l is a front elevation of a crankshaft and cooperating compensating mechanism embodying one form of our invention with the inner bearings and their connecting trusses suitable for use in a motor-vehicle. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof through the center of the shaft; and Fig.

3 is a partial cross-section thereof on the line Fig. l, the bevel-pinions of the compensating mechanism being shown in elevation and illustrating clearly the brake mechanism to be described.

We have herein shown the shaft as coinprising an intermediate crank member and cooperating like tubular members a and b, separated one from the other at their inner ends and at their outer ends securely attached in suitable manner to the drivingwheels W, (partially shown in dotted lines, Fig. 2,) said members near their inner ends having external annular shoulders a b', respectively.

The crank member herein shown is doublethat is, has two like cranks c and CZ at right angles to each other, (see Fig. 3,) and having Oppositely extended from their inner faces tubular crank-pins c d', the ends c dx of said crank member extending snugly into the inner ends of but rotatively movable relative to the tubular members a and b.

The ends of the crank member extend Well into the tubular members and preferably beyond the bearings to be described, and in order to obviate the use of two cranks for each crank-pin, while maintaining the necessary rigid connection between the parts of `the crank member, and for other reasons, to be referred to, we provide a distance-bar 25, Figs. 1 and 3, having an eye or hub 26 at each end, which is driven tightly onto a tapered portion 2 of each crank-pin, (see Fig. 2,) the vbar being bent between its ends, as shown in Fig. 1, as the inner end of the crank-pins extend oppositely beyond each other. A nut 3, screwed upon the threaded end of each pirl, against the hub of the distance-bar, holds it securely in place on the tapered portion 2.

Each crank-pin has extended through it a shaft e, Fig. 2, preferably hollowed out to lighten it and having secured to or formed upon it at one end a spur-gear e, which rests against the outer face of the crank, the opposite end of the shaft projecting beyond the pin being externally tapered at 4to receive upon it the hub of a suitable sprocket e2, held securely in place by a nut e3, screwed onto the reduced and threaded extremity of the shaft, the latter being movable bodily with the crank-pin and at times rotating therein, a sprocketchain @10 connecting said sprockets.

The spur-gear e', carriedfby the crank-pin c', is in mesh with a large gear A, rigidly secured to the tubular member a between its shoulder a' and the adjacent crank c, the elongated hub LX of said gear. entering a cylindrical bearing AX, forming a part of the frame of the vehicle and to be described, the said bearing supporting the driving-shaft at one side of the crank member thereof. This bearing has brazed onto it a hollow sleeve A', extended concentric to the shaft of the wheelhub and provided at its outer end with any suitable or usual form of bearing (not shown) to support the tubular shaft member a adjacent the wheel, this sleeve forming, .with the like sleeve B at the opposite end of the shaft, a part of the frame of the vehicle in the present embodiment of our invention.

The shaft end dx of the crank member has loosely mounted upon it adjacent the crank d a bevel-gearg, forming part of the compensating mechanism proper, a large gear B, keyed or otherwise secured to said bevel-gear, meshing with the spur-gear e, carried by the crank-pin d', and beyond the hub of the gear g the shaft end (ZX is outwardly tapered at 5, Fig. 2, to receive the hub of a gear-carrier or spider G, tightly forced upon the tapered portion and further held securely by a key 6.

Ve have shown the spider as having four radial arms, near the outer ends of which are rotatably mounted bevel-pinions gx, which mesh with the bevel-gear g and also with an opposed like gear 7L, the inner end of its hub resting against an ut7, screwed onto a threaded part S of the shaft end ZX against the spider, the bevel-gears g and 7L and the spider, with its bevel-pinions, forming compensating mechanism proper, the hereinbefore-described devices between the gear g and the left-hand wheel,Fig.2,connecting the latter,through the crank member, with the compensating mechanism proper.

The bevel-gear 7L has an elongated hub 7L', which enters and rotates in the bearing BX, said hub abutting against the shoulder b of and being securely attached to the tubular shaft member b, the bearings AX and BX4 preventing outward movement of the two parts of the crank member. The bearings are provided with hollow bosses (L10 1110 on their upper sides, into which are brazed upright hollow standards A8 BS, connected at their upper ends by a cross-bar A10, shown as hollow, it with the standards constituting a truss form of connection between the bearings. A similar truss connection A12 B12, Fig. 3, is secured to the bearings at the back thereof and substantially at right angles to the upright truss, the two trusses serving to support with the proper strength and stiness the inner bearings for the driving-shaft.

\Ve have not shown any driving motor herein, it being understood that the connecting-rods leading from the motor will be attached to the crank-pins 0' d of the shaft, the rotative motion being applied to the crank member of the shaft.

Vhen the vehicle is going in a straight path, the wheel-carrying members a Z1 rotate in unison with each other and with the crank member,as at such time the bevel-gears g and h will be locked together by the bevel driving-pinions g ,asiscommonincompensatingmechanism of this type, the connections described between the gears A and B causing them to rotate in unison to thereby rotate the wheelcarrying members. When, however, the vehicle is turning a corner or traveling in a curved path, the outer driving-wheel will travel faster than the inner one, and at such time the compensating mechanism and the transmitting connections between the gears A and B willoperate, as will be manifest from an inspection of the drawings. It' the lefthand wheel (indicated in Fig. 2) is traveling slower than the right-hand wheel, the gearA will be retarded, rotating its meshing gear e1 and the connected sprocket e2 on the crankpin c, the sprocket-chain @10 transmitting such rotation to the sprocket c2 on the crankpin d, and thereby to the gear e in mesh with the gear B, and the latter will be retarded or held back to the same extent as the gear A, so that the bevel-gear g will rotate more slowly than its opposed bevel-gear '7b. If the left-hand wheel travels faster than the righthand wheel, then the gears A and B and the bevel-gear g will rotate faster than the gear h, and the difference in the speed of the drivingwheels will be compensated for.

For convenience in assembling the parts the cross-bar A10 of the truss is preferably permanently secured by a brazed or other suitable joint to one of the standards, as BS, and enters the boss at the upper end of the standard A11 on a taper, as shown at d20 in Fig. 2, a retaining-nut 30 holding the cross-bar and standard securely together. The distance-bar 25 passes from one crank-pin to the other between the runs of the sprocket-chain, as clearly shown in-Figs. l and 3, without in any way interfering with the chain.

XVe have devised a very powerful brake adapted to be applied to a part carried by the actuating or crank member of the drivingshaft, and to this end the outer ends of the spider G beyond the pinions gx are reduced in diameter, as at g, and provided with Washers w, and outside of the latteran annularlygrooved rim m is secured to the ends of the spider-arms, the annular groove in the periphery of the rim having secured within it a wooden or othersnitable friction-surface mx. A flexible metallic brake-band m2 surrounds and cooperates with the friction-surface of the rotatable brake member, a rod 42 holding the band in place, operation of the band be- IIO IZO

ing effected by a link 44, connected at its upper end with a suitable actuating-lever 46, as shown in Fig. 2. The brake action is thus applied directly to the driving member of the compensating mechanism and serves to retard or stop the movement of the vehicle in a very efficient and powerful yet simple manner.

The alined portions 0X and clX of the crank member are shown in Fig. 2 as threaded to receive the threaded ends of rods e30 130, respectively, said rods passing through the tubular shaft members and loosely through the wheel-hubs, and beyond the latter a washer w10 is fitted onto the projecting end of each rod and held in place by a nut n30. Longitudinal displacement of the shaft members is thus prevented, in addition to the action of the truss portions of the frame hereinbefore referred to.

Our invention is not restricted to the precise construction and arrangement 'of parts as herein shown, for the same may be modified in various particulars without departing from the spirit and scope of our invention.

Having described our invention, what We claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A pair of driving-wheels, a crank, and compensating driving connections between said crank and wheels, to at times permit differential rotation of the latter.

2. A pair of driving-wheels, an intermediate crank rotatable relative to the wheels, and compensating driving connections between said crank and wheels, to permit differential rotation of the latter.

3. A pair of driving-wheels, an intermediate crank rotatable relative to the Wheels, compensating means between and connecting the crank and one of the wheels, and driving connections between the other wheel and the compensating means,transmitted through the crank.

4. A pair of driving-wheels, an intermediate crank rotatable relative to the Wheels, compensating means, the actuating member thereof rotating with the crank, direct connections between said compensating means and one of the wheels, and driving connections between said means and the other wheel, transmitted through the crank.

5. A pair of driving-wheels, an intermediate crank member in alinement with and rotatably movable relative to the wheel-axes, compensating mechanism driven by the crank member,includin g a bevel-gear rotatable with each wheel, and driving connections between one of the wheels and a bevel-gear, transmitted through the crank member.

6. A vehicle driving-shaft having a crank, wheels mounted upon the shaft, and compensating mechanism connective of the shaft and wheels to permitdifferential rotation of the latter.

'7. A vehicle drivingshaft comprising wheel-carrying members, an intermediate crank member rotatably movable relative to members is permitted.

S. A vehicle driving shaft comprising wheel-carrying members, an intermediate crank-driving member rotatably movable relative to the wheel-carrying members, compensating mechanism connective of said members and the crank member, and a rod eX- tended from each end of the crank member through the wheel-hubs, to prevent longitudinal displacement of the parts.

9. A vehicle driving-shaft comprising tubular members each having a wheel rigidly attached to it, an intermediate crank member supported in the inner ends of said tubular members and rotatably movable relatively thereto, and compensating driving connections between the crank and wheel-carrying members, to normally effect rotation of the latter in unison.

10. Avehicledriving-shaft comprising separated members each having a wheel rigidly attached thereto, and immediate crank member, compensating mechanism, including a spider fast on the crank member and provided with bevel-pinions, opposed bevel-gears one of which is fast on the adjacent wheel-carrying member and the other loosely mounted on the crank member, a gear fast on the other wheel-carrying member, and driving connections between/said fast gear and the loose bevel-gear mounted on the crank member.

11. .A pair of driving-wheels, an intermediate double-crank member rotatable relative thereto, and compensating driving connections between the wheels and crank member, including a rotatable sprocket-wheel carried by each crank-pin, and a sprocket-chain connecting said sprocket-wheels.

12. A vehicle drivingshaft comprising wheel-carrying members having a wheel rigidly secured to each, compensating mechanism intermediate said members, a drivingcrank between the compensating mechanism and one of the wheels, and means to transmit the action of the compensating mechanism to the Wheel beyond the crank.

13. A pair of driving-wheels, a truss provided with bearings for the wheels, a crank intermediate the wheels, and compensating driving connections between said crank and wheels.

14. Wheel-carrying members having each a rigidly-attached driving-wheel, a truss provided with bearings for said members and having tubular extensions through which said members are extended, a cran-k driving member, and compensating driving connections between the crank and wheel-carrying members, to permit differential rotation of the wheels.

15. A pair of driving-wheels, connected trusses at substantially right angles to each other and provided with bearings for the IIO wheels, a crank member between said bearings, and compensating driving connections between the crank member and the wheels.

1G. A pair of driving-wheels, two driving- 5 cranks intermediate said wheels and having oppositely-extended crank-pins, a distancebar rigidly connecting the outer ends of the pins, and compensating driving connections between the cranks and the wheels, to eifect ro rotation thereof in unison and also to permit differential rotation of the wheels.

17. A driving-shaft having a crank member, compensating mechanism, and means to transmit the differential action of the compensating mechanism through the crank member of the shaft.

18. In a motor-vehicle, driving-Wheels, a drivingshaft having a crank member, cornpensating mechanism, means to transmit the 2o differential action of the compensating mechanism through the crank member of the shaft, and` means to transmit rotary motion from the driving-shaft to the driving-wheels.

19. A vehicle driving-shaft comprising a double-crank member, tubular wheel-Carr f'- ing members, asprocket, its shaft, and a gear, mounted rotatably upon said crank-pin, a chain connecting the sprockets, a large gear in mesh with each of said gears, one of the 3o large gears being fast on a tubular member,

the other having a rigidly-connected bevelgear loose on the crank member of the shaft, an opposed bevel-gear fast on the other tubular member, and a spider fast on the crank member, having bevel-pinions in continuous engagement with the opposed bevel-gears.

20. In a motor-vehicle, a driving-shaft comprising tubular members, a wheel fast on the outer end of each,an intermediate crank member supported in the inner ends of and rota- 4o tably movable relative to the tubular members, a tie-rod extended from each end of the crank member through the adjacent tubular member and the hub of its wheel, to prevent longitudinal displacement of the parts, compensating mechanism connecting the tubular and crank members, shaft-bearings, one at the inner end of each tubular member, and trusses substantially at right angles to each other connecting said bearings around the 5o crank member.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

VILLIAM E. WENTZEL. GEORGE E. VHITNEY.

Witnesses:

GEORGE B. UPHAM, NATHANIEL H. CooLnDGn.

Correction in Letters Patent No. 636,701.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 636,701, granted November 7, 1899,

upon the application of William E. Wentzel, of Lynn, and George E. Whitney, of

Boston, Massachusetts, for an improvement in Vehicle Driving Mechanism, an error appears in the printed specicaton requiring correction, as follows: In line 93, page 3, the words and immediate should read an intermediate; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed, countersigned, and sealed this 12th day of December, A. D., 1899.

[SEAL] l THOS. RYAN,

First Assistant Secretary of the Interior. Countersigned C. H. DUELL,

' Commissioner of Patents. 

